Rolling back federal fuel efficiency standards will harm Las Vegas

Nevada lawmakers must stay committed to clean car standards.

James Duffy Henderson

June 18, 2018 - 9:00 pm

AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File

Las Vegas ranks 12th among U.S. cities for ozone pollution, better known as smog. Recently, Nevada has started making progress to clean up ozone pollution, as cars are getting more fuel-efficient and coal plants have been replaced with cleaner sources of energy. This progress is important because ozone is dangerous to our health — especially to our children, the elderly and those with respiratory issues.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump’s EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, is rolling back the fuel efficiency standards that have been cleaning up our air and saving us money on gas.

As a truck driver, I’m on the road all day long. So I am strongly in favor of reducing the amount of pollution on our roads, especially because I have breathing issues. And considering how much money it takes to fill up my truck each day, my company saves a significant amount of money when our trucks can go farther on a gallon of gas. And I save money for my family when our car is more fuel-efficient.

The Trump administration’s efforts to roll back fuel efficiency standards for cars certainly helps oil and gas companies sell more gas. But Mr. Pruitt’s rollbacks cost families at the gas pump, and they stop the progress we have been making to improve our air quality.

More than a dozen states have adopted clean-car standards that will continue the progress Scott Pruitt wants to cancel, but Nevada is not one of them. It’s time for state leaders to protect Nevada’s air quality by joining the other states in staying committed to clean car standards.